Tube bending machine



Aug. 23, 1932.

A. J. MASON ET AL TUBE BENDING MACHINE Filed April 13, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet l 1932- A. J. MASON ET AL 9 TUBE BENDING MACHINE Filed April 15, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,4T PNEY Aug. 23, 1932- A. J. MASON ET AL TUBE BENDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 15, 1931 \HHHHH 1: I a 1 "IHI Patented Aug. 23, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR J. MASON, OF WEST HARTFORD, AND WILLIAM L. TANCBED, OF HARTFORD,

CONNECTICUT, ABSIGNORS TO THE BUSH MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 01 HART- FORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION 01' CONNECTICUT TUBE IBENDING MACHINE Application filed Apr-ll 18, 1981.

Our invention relates to that class of bending machines more particularly adapted for bending tubes, and more especially for bending tubes having fins arranged thereon .5 for radiation purposes, and an object of our invention, among others, is the production of a machine of this class in the use of which the tubes may be rapidly bent and shaped in a particularly efiicient manner.

One form of a machine embodying our invention and in the construction and use of which the objects herein set out, as well as others, may be attained, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top view'of our improved machine.

Figure 2 is a view in front elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a top view on enlarged scale of the bending table showing the bending elements in normal position and with a partially bent tube placed for a bending operation thereof.

Figure 4 is a similar view but showing the bending elements in position at the end of a bending operation.

Figure 5 is a side view, scale enlarged, of the upper end of the table looking in a direction at right angles to the point of view of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an isometric View, scale enlarged, looking down upon the table, the latter being cut off on one side and the bending elements being shown in position to receive a tube preparatory to bending.

Figure 7 is an isometric view of a finally bent structure, one end of which is partially broken ofi'.

Figure 8 (Sheet 1) is a view similar to Figure 6, but showing the apparatus arranged to dispose bends of the tube in a direction oblique to the plane of the finished structure.

Figure 9 is an isometric view showing the form of structure obtained in the operation of the machine illustrated in Figure 8.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 1O denotes the base of our improved bending machine with a standard 11 rising therefrom and having a base plate 12 se- Serial No. 529,672.

cured thereto at its upper end. A lon narrow table 13 is secured to and exten laterally from one edge of the base plate and is supported at its end opposite the table by a standard 14. This table has a retaining lip 15 extending along its back edge to hold tubes thereon, but it is open at its 0 posite or front edge to permit the tubes to e swung forward on the table in the operation of engaglng them with clamps to be hereinafter described. A stop 16 is adjustably secured to the outer end of the table, and an anchor 17 is connected with the stop as by means of an adjusting screw 18 threaded into the stop and by means of which the position of the anchor with respect to the stop may be fixed. The stop, adjusting screw and anchor have holes through which a holder rod 20 extends, a set screw 19 in the anchor securing the rod firmly in place. A former 21 is secured to or forms apart of the rod at its opposite end, the end of the former being rounded to provide a surface for imparting a proper shape to the tube in the bendin operation as the tube is bent around sai end in a manner to be hereinafter described.

A forming table 22 has a hub at one corner that receives a stud 23 secured to and rising from the base plate 12 and by means of which stud said forming table is rotatably mounted. The lower member 24 of a former support is mounted on a supporting plate 25 secured to the hub of the table, and the upper member 26 of said former support is secured at the end of a clamp bar 27, the members of said former support, when placed in operative position, having an annular groove extending around the axis of said members and hub and opening at one side thereof, as shown in Figures 6 and 8 of the drawings. A clamping block 28 constitutes a part of the lower member of the former support, said block being secured to the supporting plate 25 in position to form a space between the member 24 and block.

The clamping bar 27 is slidably mounted in guides 29-30 and is provided with a handle 31 by means of which it may be shifted from one position to another. The guide 30 pivotally supports a clamping lever including a handle 32 and an eccentric clamp 33 by means of which the bar 27 is forced downwardly and the former supporting member 26 is forced tightly against the member .24. A spring 34 laced in a recess in the base of the guide orces the bar 27 upwardly to (.118- engage the two supporting me1nbers 24 and 26 A back support for the former 21 and the tube being bent comprises a supporting lever 35 pivotally mounted between ears rising from a supporting plate 36 secured to the base plate 12, said lever having a dove-tailed groove in which a supporting slide 37 is mounted for reciprocating movement, said slide having a groove to receive the former and tube and a lip to be received between fins on the tube, and as shown in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings. An operating handle 39 is pivotally secured to the lever 35 and has a cam 40 acting against an anti-wearing plate 41 secured to the base plate 12, and as shown in Figure 5 of the drawings.

In operating the machine, the parts being in the position shown in Figure 6, the handle 39 is raised, thereby moving the cam 40 along the plate 41, causing the lever 35 to swing (ill backwardly away from the position shown in Figures 56. This releases the former 21 which is pulled forward to a position in front of the supporting member 24, the rod fiexing to permit this. A tube 42 with fins 43 thereon, usually arranged in series, with spaces 44 between the series, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, is now slid onto the former and rod 20 with the end fin of the second series of the tube resting a ainst the shoulder opposite the lip 38, and said lip projecting into a space between the fins of the second series. The position of the former for the bending of any particular arrangement of fins on the tube, is determined by the stop 16 and anchor 17. After the tube has been placed upon the rod as just described the rod and tube are swung back to the position occupied by the former 21 in Figure 6 and the rod is then positioned with the end of the slide 37 against the bending block 28.

The position of the slide 37 just described determines the proper position of the tube for bending around the end of the former, and the handle 31 is operated to move the clamping bar 27 forward, positioning the upper member 26 ofthe former support over the lower member thereof. The handle 32 is now moved backwardly forcing the clamp 33 into its clamping position and all the clamping members are thus secured tightly together. A handle 45 is now used to swing the forming table 22 on its pivot, thereby carrying the bending block 28 around the former 21 to form a Ushaped bend in the tube between the first and second series of fins thereon. The clamping members are now released, and the tube is turned to an opposite position on the former with the bend just made located against a positioning screw 46 in a positioning screw support 47 secured to and projecting from the edge of the table 22, and as shown in Figure 6 of the drawings. In this position of the parts the projecting end of the tube Willbe located in the space between the base of the guide 30 and the supporting plate 25. In subsequent bending operations this projecting end will be located in a groove 48 in the guide 30 and then on the opposite side of the guide from the groove 48. The slide 37 is held in its normal position as by means of a spring 51 one end of which is secured to the slide and the other end of which is secured to a post 52 rising from the base plate 12.

I In that form of the structure shown in Figure 8 a positioning screw 49 is mounted in a support 50 secured to the side of the table 22. A rest 53 of trough shape is secured to the top of the table 22, one side 54 of the rest being obliquely arranged with respect to the surface of the table 22. This is for producing a structure as shown in Figure 9 in which the series of fins on the tube are arranged in two rows and in staggered relation, whereas the series of fins as produced by the structure hereinbefore described are arranged in a single row as shown in Figure 7. In the use of the device shown in Figure 8 the first bend in the tube is made in the same manner as with the device shown in Figure 6. In the second bending operation the preceding bend is located with the fins resting against the side 54, and the second bend taking place in the same plane as the first bend, the plane of the two sides of the second bend is located at an angle to the plane of the two sides of the first bend, one of the legs of each bend being common to both of the bends mentioned, and as will be apparent from an examination of Figure 9.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes we have described the principles of operation of our invention, together with the device which we now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but we desire to have it understood that the device shown is only illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set out.

We claim:

1. A tube bending machine including a base, a bender mounted on said base and including a pivotally mounted forming table, two former members, one of which is fixed with respect to said table and the other of which is movably mounted laterally of the axis of said fixed member to permit insertion of a tube between said members, means for securing said movable member in register with the fixed member, a former to be received in said tube, and means for pivotally movin said forming table to bend said tube aroun the tip of said former and around said former members.

2. A tube bending machine including a base, a bender mounted on said base and including a forming table pivotally mounted two former supporting members, one 0' which is fixed with respect to said table and the other of which is movably mounted laterally of the axis of said fixed member to permit insertion of a tube between said members, an annular groove formed between said members, means for securing said movable member in register with the fixed member, a former to be received in said tube, a block mounted to move around the tube on said former to bend said tube, and means for operating said table to actuate said block and said former supporting members.

3. A tube bending machine including a support, bending mechanism pivotally mounted on said support and including a former supporting member around which a tube is to be bent, a former to be received in said tube, a slidably mounted back support for said tube having a lip to be received between fins on said tube, and means for operating said bender to bend said tube around the tip of said former and around said former supporting member.

4. A tube bending machine including a support, bending mechanism pi votally mounted on said support and including a former supporting member around which a tube is to be bent, a former to be received in said tube, a slidably mounted back support for said tube, means on said support to receive a fin on said tube to locate a series of fins on the tube relatively to a bend to be formed therein, and means for operating said bender to bend said tube around the tip of said former and around said former supporting member.

5. A tube bending machine including a base, a bender mounted on said base and including a forming table, two former supporting members, one of which is fixed with respect to said table and the other of which is movably mounted with respect to said table, a clamping bar to which said movable member is attached, means for sliding said bar to place said movable member in register with said fixed member, means for clamping said bar to secure said former supporting members together, and means for operating said bender to bend said tube around the tip of said former and around said former supporting members.

6. A tube bending machine including a support, bending mechanism pivotally mounted on said support and including a former supporting member around which a tube is to be bent, a former member to be received in said tube, a back support for said tube, a pivotally mounted lever upon which said back support is mounted, means foroperating said lever to position said back support and means for operating said bender to ben said tube around the tip of said former and around said former supporting member.

7. A tube bending machine including a support having a projecting stud, a table having a hub pivoted on said stud, a former supporting member fixed with respect to said table, a former supporting member movably mounted with respect to said table and laterally of the axis of said fixed member, said former supporting members having registering grooves, means for operating said movable member to register with said fixed member, an annular groove in said former supporting members, a former having a tip located in said groove, a back support for a tube within which said tip is located, means for holding said tip against movement in bending operations, means for clamping said movable member against said fixed member, and means for swinging said table on its pivotal support tp bend a tube around the tip of said former tfhd within the groove in said member.

8. A tube bending machine including a pivotally mounted forming table, a former supporting member fixed with respect to said table, a guide secured to said table and having a groove to receive a bent portion of a tube, a bar slidably mounted in said guide, a former supporting member secured to said bar to be registered with said fixed former supporting member, means for clamping said bar against movement, a former tip to be located in a groove in said former supporting members, means for holding said tip against movement during bending operations, and means for swinging said table on its pivot to bend a tube around said ti within the groove in said former supporting members.

9. A tube bending machine including a support, bending mechanism mounted on said support and including former members to receive and support a tube during bending operations, and means to locate a bent portion of said tube in an angular position with respect to a plane in which the tube is bent.

10. A tube bending machine including a support, bending mechanism mounted on said support and including former members to receive and support a tube during bending operations, and a rest for a bent portion of said tube said rest being located with its supporting surface in a plane at an angle to the plane of movement of the tube in a bending operation.

11. A tube bending machine including a support, a table pivotally mounted on said support and including former members to receive and support a tube during bending operations, said former members being separable to permit the insertion of a tube between them, a former to be received in a tube be tween said former members, a backing member located laterally of said former members to receive and support the tube during bending operations, means for operating said backing member, and means for rotating said table to bend a tube around said former member.

' ARTHUR J. MASON.

WILLIAM L. TAN CRED. 

